Over the past few years, I've conducted a number of focus groups on subjects ranging from email marketing to blogging. When I ask participants why they've chosen to receive emails from a particular source, read a specific blogger, or follow a certain Twitter user, they give me a variation on the same answer: "Because I like their unique point of view." Readers will only listen to you if you're giving them something they can't find anywhere else .

Marketers of most stripes know how important and powerful calls-to-action are. If you want someone to take a specific action, you have to actually ask them to take that specific action . But, it seems like social media marketers have either forgotten CTAs, or rejected them altogether. A researcher by the name of Irving Kirsch at the University of Connecticut did an interesting experiment with hypnotically suggestable people.

One of the most engaging features of the blogging platform is the commenting system. Many bloggers believe there is as much or even more value in the discussion than the posts they write themselves. Comments are a classic form of social proof for blogs, and blogs that attract lots of comments appear more authoritative. Comments are also a great way to facilitate user generated content that is perfect for SEO. Because of all this, comments can become addictive ,